The Pakistan cricket team made their way to India on Wednesday, marking their first visit to the country in seven years, as they prepare to compete in the ODI World Cup, which is set to kick off on October 5.
Led by Babar Azam, the team had a lengthy layover in Dubai before reaching Hyderabad. They departed from Lahore in the early hours of Wednesday and arrived in Hyderabad during the night.
Prior to the World Cup matches, Pakistan is scheduled to play a warm-up game against New Zealand on September 29 and then face Australia on October 3. Their tournament officially commences with a match against the Netherlands, followed by a clash with Sri Lanka on October 10.
Notably, the Pakistani players received their Indian visas less than 48 hours before their planned departure. Due to strained relations between India and Pakistan, encounters between the two teams are limited to events like the Asia Cup and ICC tournaments.
It’s worth mentioning that only Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Ali Agha have previously visited India for cricket purposes. Additionally, Babar Azam missed the T20 World Cup in India in 2016 due to an injury.
“The BCCI has assured the ICC that all teams will be provided the best security and will be well looked after so I don’t expect anything different for our team. I don’t think our team will face any issues in India,” head of PCB management committee Zaka Ashraf told reporters before team’s departure.
Before the team’s departure, Babar expressed his excitement about playing in India, particularly in Ahmedabad, where the intense rivalry draws crowds of over one lakh spectators.
“Although we have not played in India before, we are not taking too much pressure. We have done our research and we have heard the conditions are similar to how they play out in other Asian countries,” said Babar in the pre-departure media conference.
“I am excited to play in Ahmedabad as it will be jam-packed. I will try my best to perform up to my potential. I am not worried about my individual accolades, I want to make sure whatever I do helps the result for the team,” he said.